Jump aboard an early ferry to Liberty Island for a guided visit before the crowds arrive

Skip the lines and visit the 9/11 Memorial and St Paul's Chapel

Guided tour of the center of immigration: Ellis Island and its museum

Personalized and relaxing tour of some of New York's most famous sites

What to expect

As home to two of NYC’s most important sites – the Statue of Liberty & the 9/11 Memorial and Museum – Lower Manhattan is high on the priority list of most visitors. Get the most from your time in the Big Apple on our full-day, Complete Lower Manhattan Tour, a combination of our 9/11 Tour and our Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island tour, with expert local guides and small groups of only 20 people or fewer.

Your day starts early, at Battery Park. With priority boarding you’ll be one of the first people aboard one of the first boats to Liberty Island. Snag the best seats for a stunning ride across the water and get to know your guide a little. Once docked, they’ll lead you on a tour of the island and on to the great lady of NYC – the Statue of Liberty. During your guided tour, you’ll enjoy special access to the statue pedestal, allowing you to get closer to the statue than general access visitors. All the better to admire her beauty!

Then it’s back aboard the ferry for the short ride to Ellis Island. Here you’ll be particularly grateful for your expert guide as they lead you through the immigration process undergone by 12 million new arrivals. Walk the Stairs of Separation and get a feel for how it must have felt for lovers and families as they awaited their fate – and the start of a new life in the land of the free.

Your guide will walk you through the fantastic exhibits of the Ellis Island Museum, answering any questions you may have. This is where the first part of your tour ends. With 2 - 2.5 hours before the next leg of this Lower Manhattan journey, you'll have plenty of time to spare. Spend a little while more on Ellis Island if you like, before hopping on the ferry back to Battery Park (included in the package) and getting lunch on your way to the meeting point for your afternoon activity – a complete 9/11 tour.

Rather than simply visiting the memorial and museum, we want to offer you a full picture of what happened on that terrible day from a local perspective. With a local guide on hand you’ll learn how it impacted the community (and the rest of the world), and how hard NYC fought to get back on its feet.

With that in mind, you won't start at the 9/11 Memorial itself, but at St. Paul’s Chapel. This is where people gathered after the attack to await news of their loved ones, to mourn, pray and offer support. The walls here are still covered in touching handmade memorials, reminding visitors that 9/11 wasn’t just a huge global and political event, but a crippling personal tragedy for thousands of New Yorkers.

Next you’ll visit Brookfield Place (previously known as the World Financial Center) where you’ll learn about the massive economic effects that the 9/11 attacks had. You’ll get to see the Eleven Tears Memorial, a touching and personal memorial, which commemorates the 11 American Express employees that died in 9/11; plus the stunning Winter Garden atrium (until 1st of March 2018).

Your guide will take you next to the official 9/11 Memorial and the two Memorial Pools, each one built in the footprint of one of the towers and inscribed with the names of victims. You’ll visit the Fireman’s Memorial and learn of the endless courage of those who worked around the clock for days to save the victims of the attack – often at the cost of their own lives. The Survivor Tree is another poignant site you may have missed on your own. Don’t worry, with your expert local guides on hand, you won’t miss a beat.

The last site on your tour, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, is wonderfully curated, with artifacts salvaged from the attack and harrowing personal stories. It’s best to visit on your own, as the displays can be quite emotional, but there is a parting gift. Your tickets are pre-reserved so you don’t have to waste time waiting in lines here.

With all the details taken care of throughout the day, your Lower Manhattan Tour takes the hassle out of navigating NYC’s two busiest attractions. And with small groups and an expert local guide, you’re guaranteed to get so much more from these special experiences.

Sites Visited:

Statue of Liberty Museum and Pedestal

Ellis Island Museum

Castle Clinton National Monument

Pier A Harbor House (from exterior)

American Merchant Mariner’s Memorial

The Sphere

New York Korean War Veterans Memorial

St Paul's Chapel

Brookfield Place (formerly known as World Financial Center) (until 1st of March 2018)

American Express Eleven Tears Memorial (until 1st of March 2018)

Winter Garden (until 1st of March 2018)

9/11 Memorial Museum (Museum is non-guided)

9/11 Memorial Pools

Freedom Tower (from exterior)

Fireman's Memorial

Survivor Tree

North Cove Marina

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What's included

Reserved timed-entry 9/11 Museum tickets (self-guided)

Fully guided Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Museum tour

Pedestal Tickets for Statue of Liberty

All ferry tickets between Battery Park, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Priority ferry boarding from Battery Park - Statue of Liberty

What's not included

Gratuities for guide

Hotel pick-up/drop-off

Food/Beverages

Statue of Liberty Crown Access

Transfers between tours

Reduced price

Infants (0-3): free (no reservation required)

Children (4-11): reduced price

Where

22 Battery Pl, New York, NY 10004, USA

Meeting point:

MORNING PART - Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island: Front entrance of Pier A Harbor House, 22 Battery Place, in Battery Park, to the right of Statue of Liberty ferry and Castle Clinton

AFTERNOON PART - 9/11 Memorial & Museum Tickets- Meet in front of St Peters Church, at the intersection of Barclay and Church Street. Meet at 2.45 pm for a strict departure at 3 pm.

What to remember

Please note that from March 1, 2018, the following sites will not be included on the walking tour due to a slight itinerary change: American Express Eleven Tears, Winter Gardens and Brookfield Place.

The ferry does not operate during heavy rain or other adverse weather conditions; when this occurs, an alternative option is provided

Gratuities to guides are appreciated but never obligatory

Please note that the tour meeting time is 15 minutes prior to the start time. No refunds or re-bookings can be provided for late arrivals or no shows after tour commencement or departure

Please note this tour does not include a visit to the Statue of Liberty's Crown, due to security measures in place by the National Park Services who manage the Statue of Liberty

Tour participants must be able to climb and descend 215 stairs from the Statue lobby to the top of the pedestal

Please note that guests will need to pass through airport style security to enter the Statue of Liberty. Certain items are not permitted in the Statue of Liberty and such items will be confiscated and will not be returned. Please refer to the Statue of Liberty’s guidelines on specific prohibited items

Please be aware that upon arrival at Liberty Island, if you are carrying a backpack or large bags you are required to put your bag/s into a locker which costs $2.00 in bills only (no coins accepted). Please be sure to have dollar bills for the lockers. All Memorial Museum visitors must store large bags, backpacks, large umbrellas and any other objects deemed by 9/11 Memorial & Museum Staff to be too large or a danger to the exhibits and artifacts. The Memorial Museum will provide storage for visitors’ belongings in the Coat Rooms for the duration of their visit, located on the Concourse Lobby level and the Pavilion Auditorium level (2nd floor)

The guided portion of your tour ends in time for your reserved timed entry at 5 PM, at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, where you will be free to visit the Museum at your leisure, spending as much time as you wish. Please note the Average length of visit for 9/11 Museum is 2 hours

Please note that guests will need to pass through airport style security to enter the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Certain items are not permitted in the Museum and such items will be confiscated and will not be returned. Please refer to 9/11 Museum's guidelines on specific prohibited items

St Paul's Chapel is closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays for renovations for the forseeable future and may also be closed on other dates. On the days when St. Paul's Chapel is closed, we will tour the grounds and substitute our inside visit for additional sites important to the events of 9/11 but not normally covered on the tour